. >> i want to make it absolutely clear to assad and those under his command, the world is watching. the use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable. >> reporter: a senior official tells abc news that there are contingency plans for military action if the weapons became a threat. the syrian regime said today it would not use chemical weapons under any circumstance, but president assad's father used them, diane, and assad himself has been massacring his citizens for nearly two straight years, as you know. >> i do, and thank you, martha raddatz, reporting in on syria tonight. >>> and now we turn to a health alert from the nation's top doctors. flu season has begun weeks ahead of schedule, and it's promising to be a bruising year for the flu. but abc's chief medical editor dr. richard besser says there is a smart way to take care of your family tonight. >> reporter: you may get something you don't want for christmas, a nasty flu. today the cdc announced f